Mounted search and rescue

[<Jorene@CEOates.com>]

 

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From: tm-fi

I agree with an arena-field merge for a basic horse and rider evaluation.  [...] I can not believe some teams still invite newbies on a training session without conducting a primary H&R skills assessment.

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Good system, to first do some "show me" basics in the arena. Not unusual for someone to join saying "Yes, I know how to ride" and later discover their actual skills are dangerously inadequate, or their horse is way beyond their current capabilities.

 

I've had several people suggest to me that standards should include being able to ride someone else's horse through the obstacle course. I can see that as a possible option for more advanced riders / team leaders. I see that as being a wreck waiting to happen for far too many typical MSAR riders. And I've had plenty of people say NO WAY they'd let others ride their horse ... which tells me the riding skills in their team aren't up to par for good horsemanship.

 

Having standards that include some kind of method to disquailfy someone for inadequate skills / inappropriate mount will reduce the potential for those riders/mounts becoming a hazard on that MSAR team. But you also need to have someone there who DOES recognize the problems - sometimes not obvious to the average rider - with the authority to say no.

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I also agree with with the getting off the horse part.  That is why I had talked about having those victim stations for my dream MSAR Judged Course.  

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I saw that - Good Stuff. I mentioned having a "more complicated" rescue as a reminder to all that just because you haven't trained for something doesn't mean it won't happen. And you can't carry absolutely everything that might ever be needed with you. Being able to improvise in an emergency can save someone's life. But if you haven't had much Rescue training, the mind isn't near as likely to come up with a *safe* viable alternative.

 

Performing a more complicated rescue in training with limited gear can create a real challenge, but is invaluable because it gets the mind considering options. Consider and trialing the options *before* they are needed might make the difference between performing a safe rescue and creating a worse problem in the field.

 

I also like the "worst case scenario" type problems. (The weather means the rescue chopper can't fly. The radio can't get out to ask for guidance or for a specialized rescue team. Your team on the scene can save a life ... or not. What would you do if _____  was the situation?) I've asked that kind of question at various trainings and conferences and seen a lot of Ooops!expressions from ground teams and Mounted. The list is much shorter for having a reasonable answer than it is for the Ooops! look, which tells me it isn't uncommon that more Rescue training is needed, along with training beyond basic First Aid, which is a fairly common local standard.

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Once in their assigned area, they dismount and search for a quarter that is placed somewhere within 8 feet from the center of the trail.  Finding money motivates people (grin)

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LOL! I lured a bunch of CAP Cadets into more intensive Search training using that same kind of bait. Told them I had scattered $2 worth of pennies within a given area and sent out 4 teams to search 4 small quadrants. "What you find, you keep." They discovered that walking around with a bent head wasn't sufficient when I had them switch to the next quadrant and another team found pennies they had missed. They got more motivated with every switch to another quadrant and every team was still finding missed coins. <g> Last pass they were on hands and knees in the grass, shoulder to shoulder, explaining to ME they needed to do a hand search spreading blades to see what might be hidden. I provided the situation, they figured out the solution. Those kids taught themselves that a search for something small isn't something that can be accomplished successfully just strolling along and glancing around.  ;)

 

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Jorene Downs
Tulare Co, CA
SAR, MSAR, Swiftwater Rescue, US&R,
Technical Rescue, Cave Rescue,
Hasty Team, ICP
www.CEOates.com/sar
Tulare-Kings CERT Program Coordinator
www.tk-cert.org